Circular-knitting machine



July 1, 1930. H. SWINGLEHURST CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flA/Y'y fiawry/e/rarai' HIS ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS July 1, 1930. H. SWINGLEHURST CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Fil'ed March 16, 1922 igm 4;

- Jvly 1, 1930. H. SWINGLEHURST cI ULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3- H l5 ATTORNEYS Patented Juliyl, 193% nnnnvswrnennnunsgr, oF onAnGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO soccer ANDZWIL- Llamas ENG, on-mnwwonxym-y, aoonrona rron or MASSACHUSETTS CIRCULAR-KNITTING- IE-AQHINE -.ulpplication filed .March 16,; 1922-. serial :No. 544,179.

The object o flmy inventionas to provide a circular knitting machine with -means whereby splicing of varying width maybe obtained automatically. rin-vention is especiallyapplicable\t ihehnitting. of scamless hosiery,.and' by my improvements I can produceseamless hos ery w th high sphclng varying n width as for example, tapering,

. ,niaytake :the form of an attachment to :al-

-most any form of circular-knitting machine.

In the accompanying drawings I haveshown myimpjrovementsas applied to a Scott and Villiams circular hosiery .machine, {in which the needle cylinder revolves while .theneedle cams are stationary,.but it will be understood that the invention may .be applied to other types and constructions of circular knitting machines.

The; general construction of the Scott and WVilliams hosiery machine is such as illustrated, for example, in the Scott Patents .knittin -machine to 1,148,055, July 27, 1915, and 1,152,850,-Sept.

In the accompanying drawings .Fig. 1 is-a side elevation ofsu'fiicient ofthe show my attachment applied thereto;

Fig; 21s a vertical section on the line7-7,

Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan-on the line 3-3,

Fig. 12;

r Fig. dis a sectionthrough the variable cam on the'line lr,i,Fig. 1

Figs. 15, 6 and 7 are views ofthe disks composing the variable camtcontroliing-the splicing;

8 and scale ,to -.illus ,trate the cam 'adjusting pawl .feed; I

Fig, 10 isJaback'YiQW of part of a stocking, illustrating'a.taperingsplicing. I

. fIn Eig, 1, H represents the bed plate of the machinepwithin which rotates on a vertical axis, the needle cyIinderEZBIO and surround 9arevi'ews drawnto'a larger" p connection withfthejScott and Williams maing the upper/part ofthis is the sinker cam 1 ring 300. To:a,post 400.011 this bed ,plate is pivoted .in the .usual manner :the latch ring 556, and to a suitable part of this latch-ring are pivoted yarn guiding fingers suchas F.

These yarn fingers are severallylifted out of actionor allowed by gravity to drop into action (that is, to positions .to feed yarn to the needles) :by thrust bars .460, WhlChjLI'B guided in suitable parts of the frame and dareacted on at their low'er-ends-by cam surfaces onarotatlng pa'ttern drum 120. These cam' surfaces raise the thrust bars or allow them to drop and cause corresponding operationot therespective yarn guides as'the cam drum 120 is intermittently turned in the usual-manner. r

One of these yarn-guiding fingers 'Fis a v splicing yarn feed, which in the normal operation of the Scott and Williams :hosiery machineis dropped into action to feed'yarn to the needles when the high splicing point is reached in'knittingthe stocking from the top to the toe. "During the knitting of this high splice, according to the ordinary practice, suitablemeans provided .forthe purpose lift this splicing yarn -.guide out of feeding position during about half of each revolution or" the knitting head and dropthe yarn guide back into feeding position during the other haliof the revolution. 'By. this means the stocking .is knitted with ;a spliced portion of uniform width throughout, that is, having ,parallel edges.

As already 1 stated, it is the .object' of my present invention to provide means whereby Icanproduce on a circular knitting machine a stocking'or thelike with a spliced seotioniof varying width, such as aft-apering high splice portion,1as indicated, "for example, at X'rin the back view ofpart sf a stockingindicated' inFig. '10.

In carrying out "my present invention "in chine, I provide an automaticallyvariable cam which .contrQl'sthe-timeof throwing of head, and this is donepreferably-through its thrust' bar 460. "Thisvariable cam is-so'eonmachine, at the rear thereof, a bracket B (Figs. 1 and 3) with bearings b b (Fig. 3) for a horizontal shaft A which is driven through suitable gearing (as a, a a Fig. 3) from a moving part of the machine in such a way that this shaft A rotates in unison with the knitting head, that is, one revolutionof this shaft A for each revolution of the knitting headin this instance, the needle cylinder.

To the outer end of this shaft A (right hand end in Fig. 3) is secured the variable cam C. It is this rotary cam which controls the period of feed of the splicing thread at each revolution during the courses the splicing thread is fed in. Between the periphery of this cam C and the thrust bar 460, which raises the splicing yarn guide F,

is interposed 'a bell-crank lever D, (Fig. 2)

which ispivoted on a horizontal rod d carried by the bracket B. The lower arm ofthis pivoted lever D has a wide nose d (Fig. 3) adapted during splicing to bear against the periphery of the cam C, while the other arm of this lever has a nose d adapted to act in a notch n in the splicing thrust bar 460 (Fig. 2). 'A spiral pull spring (Z tends to keep this end of the lever D in this notch n at all times, holding the other arm (5 of the lever D clear of the periphery of the cam C, so long as the thrust bar 460 is held in its elevated position by the cam 501 on the drum 120, that is, while the portions of the stocking not to be spliced are being knitted.

In Fig. 2, I have shown the lower end of the splicing thrust bar 460 as having dropped off the end of the cam surface 501 of the drum 120, as the latter is rotated intermittently in the direction of its arrow in that figure. In this same figure, the cam C is shown in that part of its revolution in which a depression 0 is opposite the end d of the lever D, and this end of the lever has dropped into the depression under the weight of the thrust bar 460. So long therefore as 1 this end d. of the lever D is in the depression 0 as the cam G revolves, the splicing yarnguide F will be in its lowered active position supplying the splicing yarn to the needles. The shorter the length of this depression the fewer needles will get the splicing thread at each revolution of the cam and For this purpose, the cam C is built up of several parts or is in other words a compound cam, as shown more in detail in Fig. 4. It comprises three principal parts, a central disk 50 keyed to the shaft A (Fig. 3) and having on opposite sides cylindrical hubs 51, 52 on which are mounted disks 53 and 54 respectively, so that they can be caused to turn on these hubs 51, 52. The central disk 50 carries a radial pin 55 on which can turn a pinion 56. This pinion meshes into gears 57 on the inner faces of the two outer disks 53 and 54, so that when one of these two disks 53 is caused to turn in one direction the other disk 54 is, through the pinion 56, caused to turn in the opposite direction. I find it desirable to employ an expansion spring 80, Fig. 4, between the disks 53 and 54, at a point diametrically opposite the pinion 56. The peripheries of the three disks 50, 53 and 54 severally have the outlines shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, respectively, that is, each with a sunken part 0. These three views Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views of the three parts separated and looked at in the directions of the arrows at the planes 5, 5 and 6, 6 and 7 7 respectively, Fig. 3.

As seen in Fig. 3, the end d of the lever D is wide enough to extend across the three disks 50, 53 and 54, so that by suitably turning the outer disks 53 and 54 in opposite directions, the total length of the depressed portion 0 of these cam parts offered to the end of the lever D as seen in Fig. 2, may be varied from nothing up to the full length of the depression a in each of the disks.

In order to adjust the disks for this purpose, I provide a suitable pawl and ratchet movement. A ratchet R is secured to the side of the disk 54, and a pawl 58 is carried by a lever 59 pivoted at 60 to an arm 61 which is secured to the hub 52 of the central disk 50 fixed to the shaft A. The free end of this pawl lever 59 is caused by a spring 62 to bear againsta cam or eccentric 63 which is carried on the outer end of a lever 64. This lever 64 is pivoted at 65 to an extension of the bracket Band has its other end lying in the path of cams 66, 67 on the pattern drum 120. A spring 72, Fig. 1 tends to keep this lever 64 and. cam 63 in the position shown in Fig. I. When this lever is not being acted on by these cams '66, 67, the cam 63, which actuates the pawlv lever 59, only imparts a short moveand a longer stroke will. be given to the pawl 58 at that revolution.

- At two points on the edge of the disk 54: and within the pathof the pawl 58 (Fig. 1) are adj ustably secured two idling points 68 and 69 in the form of high teeth, such that when the pawl. 58 rides up on either of these teeth, the ordinary short feed movements will not move the pawl far enough to go off the point 68 (69), and consequently at every revolution of the shaft. A, the pawl will simply idle on the point until the pattern drum 120 in the course of its intermittent feed movements brings one of the cams 66, 67 under the free end of the lever 64, and thereupon causes the active side of the cam or eccentric 5 63 to he moved outwardly radially from the axis of the shaft A, and so give a long move ment to the feed pawl 58; then on the return of the pawl lever the pawl 58 will pass over the idling point 68 (69) so that the pawl can t ien resume its feed movements of the disks 5%, 53.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that in the case of the knitting of a stocking, for example, thecams on the pattern drum 120 will he so arranged that during the knitting of the main part of the leg, the. thrus bar 460 which acts upon the splicing yarn guide F will be held in its elevated position by the cam 501 (Fig. 2) acting on the lower end of the thrust bar, but when the point is reached where the splicing is to begin, the rotation of the drum 120 will carry the end of the cam 501 from under the thrust bar $60, and consequently the splicing yarn guide ,7 F will drop to operativeposition, unless prevented by the action of the cam 0 on the lever D, Fig. 2. The feed pawl for the disks of the cam C has meanwhile been idling on the point 68, but at the time the thrust bar 160 drops off the end of cam 501, th cam 66 on the pattern drum will come under the free end of lever 6%, with the result of causing a long feed movement-of the pawl 58, as already deiibed, carrying it ofi' the idling point 68. l at each revolution this pawl will have read movements imparted to it to turn the U 53, 5e gradually in opposite direco step by step to lengthen the depression 0 in the periphery of the compound am C, and correspondinglyincrease step by ten the number of needles which will take e splicing yarn. The effect will he to pro- 21 spliced section in the back of the ring of the tapering shape indicated in 10. l have foundin practice that it is t desirable to change at every successive use the number ofneedles which take the icing thread. It is preferable to make s change at recurrent courses, as at every other course. in practice, I provide means whereby during splicing the disks'53, 54 are adjusted, that is, have feed movements imparted to them by the pawl 58 only at every other revolution of the knitting head and shaft A.

of the teeth ofratClietwv-heeldt (Figs.- 3, 8 and 3 29:) '1heipawl58; has :a rnose i wide ."enough ;to end :over bothdherratchet wvhee'l It andthe adjacentratchetaring $70. Anseccndany pawl 7:1,:wh-ich is-inountedonethe same ,pivot as the gp-awl 58ironrlever 59,=is adaptedzto-engagefthe 5 iteethfof ratchet ring 70. This pawl is of a -different ,length fromlthe pawl58, 4 but I is so arranged that when: the nose ofipawl 58-is at the forward end "ofione'of its regular feed strolres,, thez pawl 7;:1will'be on the'top'ofione of xtlieziteeth .of-ratchet .70, as shown {in illlig. 8. ff'hen on :the return imovement of the pawl :lever, un'denthe actonofits spring 59 (Fig.

)1- hoth- :p'awls will move back :over the I -ratchet iteeth, :but *while pawl 71 :will drop bank of thetooth "on which'it was riding, the

=p3i-Wl f5'8 will aride up onto-:the top of-a tooth of the coarse ratchet 70, aseseen in Fig. ;9.

fl'llhehatth'emext revolution ofthe cam shaft A, whena forward movement is-imparted .to

the 'pawl lever 59, the pawl 58 (Fig. 9,) oan not engage the teeth of ratchet disk :R, being held up by the coarse tooth of ring 71, "and at {this movement there will 'he .no :feed -1novement imparted -to' the disks But since the pawl :71 is in .engagement with a tooth of iratchet :ring 0 (Fig.8), the effectwill be=to.mo.vethe latterrotarily on tlie disk '5 lzto-aniextent equal 2 to the stroke ofthe pawlilever 59+and 'consequently on the return stroke of this :pawl lever 59, {the pawl 58 can drop loack of the tooth-of ring' 'TO, on which it 'hadibeen :riding and into engagement also witha ratchet tooth of the disk R Fig. and therefore at the next revolution a feed movement will he imparted to the disks 53, 54 to :increasetheglength of the depression cat the periphery of cam wheel C. These feed .movements withfl'consequent lengthening of the depression 0 in'the variable'cam- C" will thus-continue at every other revolution until the desired full width of splicing is obtained, namely that about equal the lever 64 and raising that free end, causes the active side ofthe cam or accentric 63 at the other end to be moved radially outward from the axis of the shaft A and thus to give to the pawl lever 59 an extra long feed movement, with the result that on the return the pawl 58 will pass off the idling point 69 and engage the ratchet'teeth of the disk 53..

and 5iliesume intermittent feeding of the disks 53,

This, however, will have no effect upon the splicing because meantime the thrust bar 460 will have been elevated by an appropriate cam on the pattern drum 120 to hold the splicing yarn guide F out of yarn feeding position. The adjusting, that is, intermittent turning of the disks 53, 54 will continue until the idling point 68 reaches the feed pawl 58, whereupon the latter will ride on that idling point, until the splicing in the next stocking is to begin, whereupon the operations be fore described will be repeated.

I claim as my invention 1. A circular knitting machine, having needles and yarn guides, including a splicing yarn guide, in combination With a variable cam adapted to control said yarn guide, said cam comprising a central disk and two side disks turning thereon and geared together to turn in opposite directions and an automatic'pawl and ratchet feed device to act upon one of the disks.

2. A circular knitting machine, having needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide, in combination with a variable cam adapted to control saidsplicing yarn guide, said cam comprising a central disk, two side disks a inion carried b the central disk and gearing the two side disks together and an atuomatic pawl andratchet feed device to act upon one of the disks.

3. A circular knitting machine, having needles and yarn guides, including a splicmg yarn guide, and pattern mechanism con- I trolling the active and inactive positions of the yarn guides at different stages of the knitting in combination with a variable cam controlling the periods of active and inactive positions of the splicing yarn guide during each revolution of the knitting head, means for automatically adjusting the said cam and devices for idling said adjusting means at certain times under the control of the pattern mechainsm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to'this specification.

V HARRY SWINGLEHURST. 

